Chapter 536: River Water and Blood Water (Part 1)

Lowering his spyglass, Kong Youde gazed out over the flatlands north of Jinzhou City. He saw scout riders surging on that side, a sea of banners billowing, and densely packed glittering blades reflecting dazzling light in the newborn sun.

The Great Qing's iron cavalry was steadily massing. Amid the sounding of horns, one military formation after another merged into a vast host of men and horses. The fluttering banners were like a silent ocean before a storm, and a dense, murderous aura reverberated across the wilderness beneath the sky.

Seeing the banners like a sea and the blades like a forest, such was the might of the Great Qing.

There had been times when Kong Youde was constantly uneasy, wondering whether betraying the Great Ming and becoming a national traitor, a Han turncoat, was worth it. Now it seemed his choice had been wise.

Looking out again at the massive artillery camp beside him, brimming with smug satisfaction, Kong Youde pointed at the chaotic Ming army across the river and laughed to those around him: "The Ming dogs truly have no men left. Such a motley rabble — we wouldn't even need the Manchu and Mongol Eight Banners to take the field. One barrage from my Ujen Cooha artillery camp would be enough to annihilate them all on both banks of the river. A pity His Majesty has strictly forbidden us from acting rashly!"

At that moment, the gūsa ejens of the various Han Eight Banners — Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, Ma Guangyuan, Shi Tingzhu, Liu Zhiyuan, Zu Zerun, Wu Shoujin, and others — were all gathered together.

Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, and Kong Youde had all once been considered adopted sons of Mao Wenlong, each with a wild and unruly temperament. Though there had been strife among the three of them, after surrendering to the Qing together, they were enfeoffed as the Three Obedient Kings. In an era of fierce conflict between old and new officials in the Han Banners, they shared both honor and disgrace.

Hearing this, the two laughed heartily: "Well said, Prince Gongshun! The Ming troops are bear-like and their officers cowardly — victory over them is indeed no martial feat. For our Great Qing's iron cavalry, a thousand routing ten thousand is often commonplace."

At this point, Regional Commander Shen Zhixiang, attached to the Han Plain Yellow Banner, also came over to join the fun, laughing: "It is precisely because the Ming state is corrupt, and its civil and military officials love only wealth, that we, like wise birds choosing the right tree to perch on, abandoned darkness for the light."

At these words, everyone present wore strange expressions.

This Shen Zhixiang was originally the son of Shen Shikui, who had served under Mao Wenlong. After Shen Shikui died in battle, Shen Zhixiang proclaimed himself Regional Commander. The Ming sent troops to suppress him, and as a result, Shen Zhixiang dispatched his subordinate officers Wu Chaozuo and Jin Guangyu to Shengjing to request surrender.

In the end, Shen Zhixiang led nine Vice Regional Commanders, eight Assistant Regional Commanders, eighteen Mobile Corps Commanders, thirty-one Regional Military Commissioners, thirty Garrison Commanders, forty Company Commanders, and over 2,500 soldiers and civilians in surrendering to the Qing. He was enfeoffed by Huang Taiji as Regional Commander and rewarded with python robes, a cool hat, an exquisite belt, and many other items.

Though his father Shen Shikui had been a petty profiteer and was only given important posts because his daughter was Mao Wenlong's concubine, he at least died for his country. This Shen Zhixiang, however, was utterly worthless — neither literate nor martially capable, yet extremely greedy for wealth and goods. It was only because of his father's legacy that he received a series of preferential treatment.

Hearing the phrase "love only wealth" come from his mouth sounded strange no matter how one heard it.

Shi Tingzhu, the gūsa ejen of the Han Plain White Banner, had long looked askance at these "newcomers" like Kong Youde, and was especially envious of Kong Youde's command over the Ujen Cooha artillery camp.

At these words, he cast a disdainful glance at Shen Zhixiang and sneered at Kong Youde: "Prince Gongshun, His Majesty entrusted the artillery camp to your hands as a sign of his esteem. Though the Ming army across the way is contemptible, the Ming commanders Wang Dou and Yang Guozhu are no ordinary men. The imperial grace is vast — you should be diligent and conscientious. How can you be so arrogant and negligent toward the enemy?"

Liu Zhiyuan, Zu Zerun, and Wu Shoujin immediately voiced their agreement, some openly and some subtly. Kong Youde's face could not help but darken.

However, he was a man of considerable depth and did not immediately turn hostile. Geng Zhongming and Shang Kexi were both cruel and domineering men. Geng Zhongming could still somewhat restrain his temper, but Shang Kexi was just about to retort sarcastically.

Kong Youde, however, suddenly glanced at Zu Zerun, the gūsa ejen of the Han Plain Blue Banner, shifting his target and the topic: "Brother Zu, your esteemed father is inside Jinzhou City. The siege has lasted so long, yet His Majesty has never ordered your unit to attack Jinzhou. But with the great battle about to begin, I fear armed conflict will be unavoidable, and flesh and blood will have to destroy each other."

After speaking, he burst into laughter. Shang Kexi, Shen Shikui, and the others also gloated with schadenfreude — a son fighting his own father, how amusing.

Shi Tingzhu and the others were momentarily stunned. Indeed, this was no good thing, especially since Zu Zerun was considered part of their faction, making the topic even more awkward.

Zu Zerun's expression turned ugly, but he had been deeply cultivated by his clan since childhood and was no profligate wastrel. His mind and reactions were very quick. He stroked his mustache and said coldly: "Each serves his own master. On the battlefield, there is no father and son. If His Majesty gives the order, we slaves need only obey."

While these former Ming officers of the Han Banners engaged in their open and covert struggles, Kim Ja-jeom, the Right State Councilor of Joseon, had been standing silently to the side, a gentle smile on his face. Beside him stood several Joseon officials and officers, some wearing wide-brimmed hats and robes, others clad in armor with large, dense plates, much like the medals of later-era Joseon officers.

They stood to the side, watching the show with great interest. Only Ma Guangyuan, the gūsa ejen of the Han Bordered Yellow Banner, seeing the situation turning sour, stepped forward with a grin to smooth things over.

He was considered a neutral, able to speak with both Kong Youde and Shi Tingzhu's factions. Indeed, the Han Banners needed a figure like him. Sure enough, after he smoothed things over, the tense atmosphere in the group eased slightly.

Shi Tingzhu actually did not want to fall out too badly with Kong Youde. As the Qing state placed increasing importance on firearms, Kong Youde's standing in Huang Taiji's mind grew ever weightier. Coupled with his deep and calculating mind, Shi Tingzhu was in fact somewhat afraid of Kong Youde. After Ma Guangyuan smoothed things over, he seized the chance to let the matter drop.

He merely furrowed his brow, looking at the flatlands to the north, and said: "The Ming army has already crossed the river. Why is there still no word or movement from the various masters over there?"

He was not alone in his puzzlement; Kong Youde and the others were equally anxious. The Ujen Cooha artillery camp was already fully prepared. The Ming army was continuously crossing the river — a prime battle opportunity was right before their eyes. It was impossible for any of them not to be impatient.

However, in such a major battle, the issuing of combat orders was not up to them. Although they were all gūsa ejens of the Han Banners, they were still merely subordinates of the various Manchu Eight Banner beile. Battle orders had to await their issuance.

It was not just the Han Banners — in fact, all the gūsa ejens of the Mongol Eight Banners were likewise subordinates of the Manchu Eight Banner beile.

Under the Qing state's Eight Banners system, before the establishment of the Mongol and Han Eight Banners, all personnel were subordinates of the Manchu Eight Banner beile. After the Mongol and Han Eight Banners were separated from the Manchu Eight Banners, the subordinate relationship of their gūsa ejens and meiren janggin to the original Manchu Eight Banner lords and beile remained completely unchanged, without the slightest alteration.

The most obvious fact was that the Mongol and Han Eight Banners only had gūsa ejens appointed, with no separate banner lords placed above them.

At this time, the Ujen Cooha artillery camp commanded by Kong Youde was in fact also divided under the Manchu Eight Banners. It was only because of the special nature of weapon manufacturing, training, and supply that it had previously been under the overall command of Tong Yangxing, and was now under Kong Youde's overall command.

Although Huang Taiji had always wanted to place the Ujen Cooha artillery camp under his direct leadership, he had consistently met with collective resistance from the various Manchu banner lords and had been unable to achieve this.

Of course, for such a major campaign, Huang Taiji, under the banner of concentrating military strength and unified command, could directly issue orders to the Ujen Cooha artillery camp. The Manchu banner lords could not easily oppose this.

Shi Tingzhu rubbed his palms together, staring at the Ming army across the Xiaoling River, and grinned savagely: "Damn it, I can't wait any longer — I want to start a great slaughter!"

The various Han Banner gūsa ejens beside him all laughed wildly in agreement, eagerly discussing how they would cut down the Ming troops, without the slightest qualm about massacring their former compatriots.

Only Kim Ja-jeom wore a smile on his face while inwardly feeling contempt. He thought to himself: "A pack of pigtailed slaves — these slaves, having thrown themselves at a new master, are even more vicious than before. Especially these crude martial men. The calamity of warriors is evident here."

Watching these vile and repulsive Han traitors, he became even more resolute in his determination to suppress martial men after returning to his country. No matter how much harm civil officials caused, the damage to the state was limited. The calamity of warriors often meant widespread slaughter and rivers of blood. The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of the Central Plains, with their military governors carving out fiefdoms, were a cautionary tale from the past.

Just then, Kong Youde suddenly raised his spyglass rapidly and looked toward Rufeng Mountain. It seemed there was some commotion on the mountain over there, with flags waving chaotically. He felt a twinge of doubt — could it be that the Ming army was attacking Rufeng Mountain?

At that moment, Shi Tingzhu and the others also noticed the situation at Rufeng Mountain and began pointing and gesturing in that direction.

Then, they heard urgent horn calls from that side, along with the faint sound of clanging bronze gongs.

What had happened?

As everyone was wondering, they heard waves of clamor coming from the Manchu and Mongol Qing army positions north of Jinzhou City. They also saw elite scout riders seemingly shuttling back and forth in that area, conveying orders.

These scout riders all wore bright helmets and bright armor, with eagle plumes inserted in their helmet tubes and flying tiger fox-tail banners on their backs. Their movements were vigorous and agile — they were actually troops from the Gabshihiyan Cooha camp, the imperial guard of the Qing Emperor.

As these Gabshihiyan scout riders shuttled back and forth conveying orders, the Manchu and Mongol cavalry positions north of Jinzhou City fell into chaos. Urgent conch calls sounded one after another, and then their rear army turned into the vanguard, one military formation after another breaking camp and marching out.

Amid the dust and smoke, they could be seen rolling swiftly toward the west of the city, then crossing the Xiaoling River and racing toward the south of the city.

Gazing further toward the south of the city, in the direction of the southern bank of the Xiaoling River, the Qing army's main camp besieging the city there was likewise sounding horns, with dust soaring into the sky. Large contingents of cavalry were racing swiftly toward the Nüer River.

The various Han Banner gūsa ejens were all dumbfounded. What was going on?

As their hearts were in turmoil, some bayara under the Manchu banners came galloping swiftly toward them, conveying orders to move quickly to the northern bank of the Nüer River.

Finally, they saw Gabshihiyan Janggin Loosa leading some cavalry from the Gabshihiyan Cooha camp galloping over. He did not ascend the earthen wall, but merely shouted from outside the first trench line: "Prince Gongshun, State Councilor Kim, His Majesty has decreed: the Han Eight Banners, the Joseon army, and the Ujen Cooha artillery camp are to immediately redeploy to the banks of the Nüer River!"

He rapidly conveyed a series of orders from Huang Taiji: the Han Ujen Cooha artillery camp, except for twenty Divine Might Grand General cannons left behind under the guard of Han Bordered Red Banner gūsa ejen Liu Zhiyuan, was to redeploy in full to reinforce the defending troops there. Any who dared disobey would be executed without exception!

When the various gūsa ejens anxiously inquired about the reason, Loosa said angrily: "We have fallen into a trap. The main Ming force has already moved toward the Nüer River. In particular, the Jingbian Army's artillery camp will soon reach the riverbank. The military situation is urgent — the Ujen Cooha artillery camp must immediately move to provide aid and engage the Jingbian Army's artillery camp in battle!"

The series of orders left Kong Youde and the others standing dumbstruck. The Han Banners had painstakingly set everything up here, with all arrangements in place — and now they were to abandon it all just like that?

Kong Youde was especially furious. He had gone to such great effort to drag numerous cannons from places like Rufeng Mountain and Shimen Mountain to outside Jinzhou City, and now they had to make a huge detour, going from east of Jinzhou City around to the west, then cross the Xiaoling River, and haul them all the way to the banks of the Nüer River?

He had to remember that these were all heavy cannons weighing several thousand jin each. How could they just be hauled away at a moment's notice? Moreover, many cannons had been set up on high platforms — getting them up and down again, was that easy?

And a sudden terror rose in his heart: were they really going to face off against the Jingbian Army's artillery camp? Although in peacetime he had sworn oaths and made bold claims, never taking the Jingbian Army seriously, now that they were actually about to clash, why did his heart feel such creeping dread?

But how could he dare disobey the Emperor's orders? Even with his heart in turmoil, he had to steel himself and go through with it.

His gaze swept over Zu Zerun, Geng Zhongming, Kim Ja-jeom, and the others. All their faces were pale, their expressions terrified. Only Shi Tingzhu feigned composure, though his trembling hands betrayed his true inner thoughts.

Kong Youde hardened his heart and thought: "There's no turning back now. We can only fight it out with Wang Dou and his men!"

……

The Ming army's main force unexpectedly swung west, greatly disrupting the Qing army's deployments.

But they were elite troops after all. Under Huang Taiji's stern orders, after a brief period of confusion, many Manchu and Mongol cavalry beneath Jinzhou's walls rushed to provide aid. In great surging columns they set out, galloping toward the Nüer River.

The Han Banner's Ujen Cooha artillery camp and musketeers also urgently set out.

However, getting their cannons to the banks of the Nüer River at the first opportunity was no easy matter.

From the east of Jinzhou city, one could directly cross the Xiaoling River to reach its southern bank. But this spot lay at the confluence of the Xiaoling and Nüer Rivers, where the current was swift. Ferryboats could cross, but building a pontoon bridge was difficult.

The Ujen Cooha artillery camp had no choice but to take a long detour, which inevitably slowed their advance.

The chaos among the Qing troops outside the city was clearly visible to Zu Dashou and the others standing atop the ancient Liao pagoda inside Jinzhou.

Zu Dashou, a veteran of military affairs, quickly grasped the Ming army's strategy and could not help but praise: "Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao — strike what they must defend. This strategy is brilliant!"

The Qing main force had all been drawn beneath Jinzhou's walls. This window of opportunity favored the Ming army's attack.

The terrain there also favored the deployment of the Imperial Army's musket and artillery units, and the transport of baggage.

Only...

Watching the Manchu and Mongol iron torrent outside the city stream endlessly from north and west of Jinzhou toward the banks of the Xiaoling River, then swiftly cross via various pontoon bridges — as far as the eye could see, countless armored riders surged like mountain-toppling, sea-splitting tidal waves. His heart was filled with concern, wondering whether the Ming army could swiftly seize the Nüer River and lift the siege of Jinzhou from the south.

……

Cannonballs shrieked. Within the artillery position, great plumes of white smoke erupted from the numerous cannons, laced with fierce streaks of fire, followed only then by the muffled thunder of cannon fire. One after another, scorching iron balls spun through the air, smashing viciously down upon the pontoon bridges and the Qing riders on both banks of the Nüer River.

Boom!

The middle section of one pontoon bridge took a direct hit from a heavy cannonball. The planks laid across it shattered with a roar, instantly collapsing into an enormous gaping hole.

At the moment the planks collapsed and shattered, the heavy iron ball also sent countless sharp wooden splinters and debris flying.

Splat!

Splat!

Splat!

A wave of Bordered Blue Banner Manchu riders crossing the bridge nearby — men and horses alike erupted in clouds of blood mist. Amid human screams and horse whinnies, each one howled as they tumbled and fell.

Several Bordered Blue Banner Qing riders behind them, unable to rein in in time, stared with terrified eyes and desperately pulled at their panicked, frenzied mounts, yet still went screaming into the icy river water.

A Bordered Blue Banner squad leader — his horse was stuck head-down in the hole. This squad leader's face was covered in blood; his right eye had been struck squarely by a sharp splinter. The searing agony made his whole body convulse. He struggled to brace his hands on either side of the hole, straining with all his might to keep himself from falling into the river.

He opened his one dull left eye, hoping someone would pull him to safety.

Not far from him, several more Bordered Blue Banner Tatars lay sprawled on the pontoon bridge, writhing in unbearable pain. There was also a warhorse with a sharp wooden shard stabbed into its underbelly, neighing pitifully as it rolled across the planks before finally plunging into the river, knocking a loudly shouting Qing soldier beneath the water.

Those Qing soldiers who had fallen into the water thrashed desperately. They were almost all landlubbers, with an innate terror of rivers and seas. As they gulped down mouthfuls of red-tinged, murky river water, they struggled and shouted toward the pontoon bridge, hoping someone could save them.

But the Jingbian Army's cannons kept roaring over, paying them no heed. Amid the thunderous booms, sections of the pontoon bridges were struck again and again. These bridges were basically all laid with wooden planks, and the damage caused when cannonballs hit was immense.

After each cannonball struck, the Qing soldiers crossing at that point would be jammed into a huddled mass. Some cannonballs also fell into the river, sending up great columns of water that splashed onto nearby Qing riders crossing the river, making them feel both relieved and still shaken with lingering fear.

……

Looking out across both banks of the Nüer River and the many pontoon bridges at this moment, hoofbeats rumbled like thunder as masses of Eight Banners cavalry came surging forward. After each salvo from the Jingbian Army's artillery camp, the tide-like onrush of Qing riders would falter.

Desolate horn calls sounded continuously. Gazing far to the northern bank of the Nüer River, on the horizon, wave after wave of black tides appeared one after another. Then these tides swelled, merging into vast swathes of Eight Banners cavalry with armor and banners of differing colors, rushing ceaselessly toward this side.

Zhao Xuan lowered his telescope and thought: "The Tatar reinforcements have come so fast!"

Zhao Xuan's artillery camp, being fully mule- and horse-drawn, and having come from Huangtuling across flat open country —

even the heaviest cannons in the camp, mounted on their carriages, could be pulled quite easily by two horses. Moreover, including the camp's baggage unit, every soldier had a horse, so the artillery camp marched extremely fast, even matching the speed of cavalry from garrisons other than the Jingbian Army.

Thus, not long after the westward-moving Ming cavalry reached the banks of the Nüer River, Zhao Xuan's artillery camp arrived close behind.

They swiftly set up artillery positions to intercept the Qing riders crossing the river.

At this time on the Nüer River, the Qing army had erected multiple pontoon bridges between the two banks.

But the most important and widest ones were only the pontoon bridge in front of Shuangzi Mountain and Rufeng Mountain, and another pontoon bridge several li northwest of Shuangzi Mountain. Therefore, Zhao Xuan's artillery positions were mainly deployed on some hills not far from these two locations.

Zhao Xuan personally led one hundred of the artillery camp's one hundred sixty cannons of various sizes — including forty red-barbarian cannons, of which twenty were six-pounders and twenty were three-pounders, plus numerous large and small folangji cannons and others — deployed at this spot.

The remaining cannons, under the command of the artillery camp's central army officer, were deployed at another artillery position.

Zhao Xuan's artillery position was situated northwest of Shuangzi Mountain, less than a li from the river, where several hillocks rose. His one hundred cannons, ranging from small and large folangji to small and large red-barbarian cannons, were arrayed in order on the midslopes and crests of each hillock.

Cannons thundered. The artillery camp's many gunners, sweat pouring like rain, ceaselessly bombarded the Qing riders on the opposite bank. Their primary targets were the Qing riders streaming continuously from the two pontoon bridges to the left and right, shelling them from an oblique angle.

……

Old White Ox: The previous chapter was the Xiaoling River, not the Nüer River. I made a mistake.

The next chapter is at twelve o'clock...)